The moment the Antidote Pill was consumed, the rate of HP loss instantly slowed.
It finally stopped at: 67/100
The effects of the Golden Sore Medicine were also gradually taking effect.
It was increasing at a rate of 1 HP per minute.
Yang Ling was not stingy and directly consumed two more bottles of Golden Sore Medicine.
Although this medicine's healing speed was slow, as long as it was used well, it could keep him at a safe HP level at all times.
He opened the fire starter and looked around.
The Mine Insect that had just stung him was already gone.
He looked down at his ankle, where there was a tiny puncture hole.
"Dammit, the Mine Insects really approach silently. If I had been stung like this when I first arrived here, there wouldn't have been time to save me, I would have died on the spot."Yang Ling's expression was resentful.
Back then, he only had 30 HP.
This time, the Mine Insect sting directly took 33 points. If not for the Antidote Pill, he suspected it might have taken another dozen or so points.
How could an ordinary person withstand that?
He rested on the spot for half an hour, waiting for his HP to fully recover, before Yang Ling continued deeper into the mine shaft.
He wouldn't retreat just because of one Mine Insect.
This time, he still had quite a bit of Flatbread and water left, so he would try his best to level up one more time before leaving.
But he hadn't taken many steps, just one turn, when Yang Ling sensed something was wrong.
In the pitch-black environment, there seemed to be a mass of something squirming.
Yang Ling opened the fire starter for a look, then turned and ran!
Behind him, a dense swarm of black scorpions was surging forward.
Judging by the numbers, there were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand!
"That's the thing that just stung me! One sting took a third of my HP. If I'm caught by this swarm, I'd be dead on the spot in just a few hits!"
Yang Ling's face turned pale.
He was genuinely scared.
"They say Mine Insects only move around in small, scattered groups. How did I run into a whole swarm?"
"Will these Mine Insects crawl out of the mine shaft?"
"Wait, Mine Insects love ore, but ordinary ore couldn't attract this many Mine Insects. Could it be..."
"Mine Essence!?"
Yang Ling's body trembled, and his footsteps involuntarily slowed down.
There was no more movement behind him; that swarm of Mine Insects hadn't pursued him.
"I remember hearing Uncle Wang and the others chatting before. Some ore veins, after a long time, can nurture a Mine Essence. That thing is incredibly valuable..."
"Could this swarm have found a Fire Crystal Rock Mine Essence?"
"The experience points from digging that up shouldn't be few, right?"
Yang Ling's heart grew fervent, but it was immediately doused by a bucket of cold water.
Given the number of those Mine Insects, even Supervisor Wu could only stare helplessly.
"Is there any way to deal with these Mine Insects?"
"They are, after all, just insects, lacking any real intelligence. If I can't handle them, maybe I can avoid them..."
Yang Ling immediately opened the map to check. After looking several times, he found that path was a dead end with no other forks to bypass it.
"No other way..."
Yang Ling sighed and continued walking back.
Mine Shaft No. 5 was clearly not a good place to stay anymore.
He needed to change to another mine shaft to continue grinding for experience.
"Wait, there seems to be another way!"
Just as he stepped out of the mine shaft, an idea immediately surged into Yang Ling's mind.
"To deal with insects, it seems fire can be used!"
"But 'Divine Realm' probably doesn't have gasoline..."
Yang Ling felt somewhat deflated.
The idea of burning this swarm of Mine Insects to death in his mind could clearly only remain an idea, difficult to realize.
"If fire attack doesn't work, what about water?"
"I also can't openly carry buckets of water inside..."
"Huh..."
Yang Ling's gaze suddenly swept over a huge boulder, and his mind stirred.
He immediately turned around and headed back into the mine shaft.
Half an hour later, he had already gathered over thirty huge boulders, each about the size of a watermelon.
Each boulder weighed at least sixty or seventy pounds.
Some of the larger ones weighed at least over a hundred pounds.
Yang Ling casually picked up one and hefted it in his hands for a moment, then began practicing throwing stones in the mine shaft.
His current strength was terrifyingly high.
Even without holding the steel pickaxe, he had 10 points in the Strength attribute.
He could throw a stone weighing several dozen pounds over ten meters without a problem.
"Strength isn't an issue, and my stamina is also decent."
"If killing these Mine Insects by smashing them gives experience, then my strength will be even more inexhaustible."
"Right now, I just need to practice accuracy."
Thinking this, Yang Ling grew even more patient.
After a day and a night.
Yang Ling had developed a feel for throwing.
Although the accuracy wasn't pinpoint precise, the deviation could be controlled within about half a meter!
"Time to give it a try."
Yang Ling moved the stones to pre-set locations, roughly one every ten meters, then walked deeper in.
Sure enough, just like last time, as soon as he passed that bend, the swarm of Mine Insects chased after him.
This time, Yang Ling didn't panic. Instead, he deliberately controlled his speed as he ran outward.
Maintaining a safe distance of over ten meters between himself and the Mine Insects.
Before long, he saw the huge boulders he had prepared.
He immediately bent down, scooped up one, turned around, and hurled it.
The huge boulder made a whooshing sound through the air before landing heavily in the middle of the insect swarm.
Boom—
With a loud crash, countless black scorpions were smashed flat, their juices bursting out.
One wave after another of cool energy flowed into Yang Ling's body.
"There's experience!"
Yang Ling was overjoyed.
After briefly scattering, the swarm of Mine Insects continued chasing Yang Ling.
Without a word, Yang Ling immediately fled.
Running to the next boulder point, he picked up another stone and hurled it.
Boom—
Another group of Mine Insects was smashed to death, juices splattering everywhere.
Countless experience points flowed into Yang Ling's body.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, you have leveled up. You have gained 1 Free Attribute Point."
Leveled up?!
Hahaha!
Yang Ling laughed heartily in his mind, casually adding the point to Strength.
The Strength attribute immediately changed from 10 to 11.
He kept running, kept smashing.
Gradually, the massive insect swarm was no longer visible.
Yang Ling stopped running, turned around, and stared intently.
He saw a lone Mine Insect rapidly approaching him.
"Come on, let's have a fair fight!"
Yang Ling picked up the pickaxe at his waist.
When the Mine Insect was about to reach him.
He took out a huge boulder from behind and smashed it over.
Squelch—
Juices mixed with venom splattered everywhere.
The last Mine Insect died, transforming into a stream of experience that flowed into Yang Ling's body.
"So Mine Insects do give experience. The system probably judges them as a threat to me, hence the experience points.
Old Fifth that time was judged as posing no threat to me at all, so no experience was given."
While pondering this, Yang Ling cautiously walked deeper into the mine shaft.
He encountered no Mine Insects along the way.
When he reached the end of the dead-end path, he immediately saw a fist-sized piece of Fire Crystal Rock emitting dazzling light.
It was different from ordinary Fire Crystal Rock, crystal clear and translucent all over, like a gemstone.
Behind it, there was also an ancient-looking book.
"This must be the Fire Crystal Rock Mine Essence, but this book is..."
Holding the fire starter, Yang Ling approached step by step.
The light emitted by the Fire Crystal Rock Mine Essence illuminated the book brightly.
Several large characters were written on it:
[Vajra Bright King Technique]
In that instant, Yang Ling felt somewhat dazed. It seemed he understood everything now.